You do a marvelous job of keeping Percy and Audrey in character - through all their moods. I really enjoyed this chapter from beginning to end (it was hard to pause and write this review!).

They're both so scared, so distant, yet want to be so close. Audrey really puts herself out on a limb a couple times, and Percy responds so well even though you can tell it is difficult for him to do so. I really want to know what he's hiding, too.

How strange it must feel for Audrey to see that Joseph is a jerk - just like Percy suspected. I imagine it made her rethink Percy's ability to assess people, and therefore will maybe help her see that what Percy see's in her is true.

I noticed this sentence, which was a bit confusing to me: “I think that she told you to and if you don't want me to break your arm, you had better get it off her.”

I think you meant to say something like: "I think she told you to back off." :)

Ah - no he's not worth it Percy!!!

Anyways, you did a marvelous job with this chapter and I can definitely feel the angst climbing higher. Can't wait to read the next chapter.

Author's Response: Hello!

Thank you for stopping by once again, your reviews always make me feel so happy. :) I have no idea how Audrey and Percy stay in character, they're really hard to write so I get lucky most of the time.

I think what I love so much about them is that they're so scared about falling in love but they can't help their attraction to each other.

Audrey is terrified of being hurt and Percy is scared of hurting her. His painful past is coming up in just a bit...I promise. Hahaha.

Totally! Percy is pretty perceptive and it had to hurt to see Audrey being so disappointed in someone she admired. I honestly feel like it's going to take a while for Audrey to truly accept that Percy sees how special she is. She's so stubborn.

That sentence you pointed out is a mess. I didn't like it either, I'll go and clean it up at some point.

Well, that was a surprise. You really turned this story on it's head and took a sharp turn. I had not anticipated this (not sure what I had anticipated but...)

I really enjoyed this chapter. The dialogue, flow, and characterizations were spot on. You wrote Dobby very well - showcasing the fact that others see him as an equal but he still perceives himself as a mere house elf. Bravo.

You have me all curious as to what will happen next. Your story reminds me of Dumbledore's quote - that death is but the next great adventure. It sounds like a dangerous adventure, at that. What happens if you fail?!?

Thank you for the swap! I couldn't find anything wrong with this chapter except that it was too short for me and I am more in love with the story than ever. :)

"fearing that she would suffocate them both as a tide of desire swept throughout her body like a tidal wave. How could she want him this much? "

This opening phrase sort of summarizes the story up to this point. This inner conflict that both your characters seem to feel towards each other (sometimes I wish I could hear Percy's ramblings as much as Audrey's!). Just when they are about to allow each other to be close (in this moment physically but in others mentally), one or the other wonders WHY!

And then, of course, Percy has this fear of losing control. I guess that is sort of Percy's nature, but I also wish I knew more about the background that so terrified him.

On one hand I think Audrey believes he's just a "good boy" and is terribly embarrassed to realize their situation, but I imagine it is something a little more than that. In turn, he feels like she is mocking him (a lot of the time actually, he's just as much a cup-half-empty sort of guy as ever).

"Audrey was startled and unsettled by her reaction to him and she feverishly tried to gather her chaotic thoughts." - Audrey is "embarrassed" (I don't think that's the right word but I can't, at the moment, decide on a better one) by the emotions she feels for him, but she thinks he's embarrassed by the physical situation. I think, in all actuality, their emotional response is do to similar issues.

"Percy Weasley was quickly turning into an addiction that she couldn't control" - they both seem to react to each other the same way, but I think neither of them believes the other feels like they do.

Things settle out a little and I can sense Audrey's mind is calmer from her lack of racing thoughts. You transitioned well into the scene of them standing outside the door, the mood shifting just right. Percy must seem so odd - knowing nothing of modern technology or pizza.

This was a great chapter. I really felt like Percy and Audrey really grew in this chapter. :)

Author's Response: Hello!

Thanks for stopping by once again and I'm sorry that this response is so late! I always love getting your reviews. ;)

I think that up until this point, I was trying to push Percy and Audrey into finally breaking down. It's been building for a while now and it finally kind of exploded here. It's hard to write both of them and I'm happy that you guys are able to get into Audrey's mind so easily.

Percy has a real fear of losing control because of...reasons that will be hinted at in the next chapter. You get the sense that he doesn't like that side of himself but his past is also something else that's bothering him. He'll go into more detail in chapter eleven, if it works out the way I want.

Bwhaha, Percy is totally a cup half full type of guy. Ik now one reviewer, I think it might have been Treacle Tart said that it doesn't help their situation when Audrey is antagonizing him so much, which is something that I thought more people should have pointed out.

'Unsettled' is the right word for this sentence. Audrey has a fear of true intimacy but it does sound weird when you read it out loud.

I want them to settle down and relax around each other, the second half of this chapter was pretty much my attempt to put an end to their chaotic emotions. I'm happy it worked out though, I thought about cutting it out but you guys seem to like it!

Well, you were wrong. This was not "just sad" it was also beautiful and haunting. Your descriptive language swept me away immediately, and offered a vivid backdrop to the unfolding story. My heart gripped as I read it, and I never once managed to peel away to note anything while I was reading. If there were grammatical errors I was unable to catch them. You took my breath away. It is tough to pull off this perspective, but you did so brilliantly! Your transitions were handled really well and it all flowed so seamlessly!

Thank you for such a wonderful story about a character we rarely get to see.

Author's Response: Hey, thanks so much for this kind review! I'm so glad that you felt this way from reading the story. It really means a lot to me what you said, especially about the transitions and imagery. I spent a lot of time on this story trying to get it perfect, so I'm glad that all of my hard work paid off!

Okay, lets be honest...reviewing just this chapter is not reviewing your first chapter. This is just your introduction, and I am both intrigued and disappointed that it is currently lacking a "next" button. ;-)

It's hard for me to picture Harry this old and fragile, and it makes me wonder if he will be that way in the next chapter. What adventure will death release him into?

You did a good job describing an event one can never really experience, and a good job managing the awkward-but-loving atmosphere of settling beside someone you know is dying.

This part of the HP series has always intrigued me immensely, so if given the opportunity I usually give stories dealing with it my attention. :)

One thing I felt could have really enhanced this story was WHY Regulous suddenly was going behind Voldemort's back, trying to destroy him. Also, what about the locket and the cup made him immediately think "Horcrux"?

Kreacher seemed so detached, so different from his break down when he later told Harry what had happened. Regulus really was the unknown hero of the HP story, since even Snape received much credit after his death.

Thanks for the review swap!

Author's Response: Thank you so much for the opportunity for a review swap! I enjoyed your story and am grateful that you took the time to read and review this story.

I have never thought about tying in why Regulus turned, but it is something I am exploring in another story of mine that will tie into this one.

So, it's been awhile (sorry about that!), but I felt like I fell right into step (after spending a bit figuring out what the last chapter was that I reviewed!)

You began this chapter with such a benign sort of rhythm that I just KNEW something terrible was about to happen - that somewhere, this plan was going to unravel. The casual pace served only to heighten my anxiety - perfectly written!

Hugo had never felt like such a failure.. Yeah...I would have too in that situation. Can't imagine the guilt his wife must feel. It really served to show us how peaceful the world has been for this generation.

The next scene was almost as funny as it was tense! Harry and Ron just do not make good driving partners - it must be karma left over from flying to Hogwarts. lol

Harry was never very good at seeing himself as the leader, although he usually did well acting as one.

This was a fantastic chapter! I was on the edge of my seat for the entire last scene!!

Author's Response: Hey, Tori! It's review answering morning!

I like to change the pace frequently during chapters. It keeps my readers awake. ;)

In fairness to Fiona, what's happening around her is completely foreign to her entire life experience. The idea that the wizarding government would be trying to kill them just doesn't register as possible in her mind. She also doesn't deal well with high-pressure situations *and* she's French.

Harry and Ron work well together, but it often seems to be in spite of themselves.

I think that Harry hates the idea of leading people because of all the residual guilt he carries from the war. But when push comes to shove, he does what comes natural, which is to lead people.

Here with our review swap - sorry it took me so long. I forgot how long these chapters were!

I think of this story often, and check for updates - I don't think you've quite made it back to the spot you had previously before redoing, right? Anyways, I love it and it is one of those few stories that always comes to mind when I think of HP fan fiction. It took me a bit to get into, especially Audrey, but then it just became Head Canon. LOL

I have always loved your descriptive language (a love I think we can agree we share in our stories, lol) and I can see just the small things you've changed (or I think you have) and they really delicately altered how I perceived this chapter. The flow was amazing!

You manage to get into Percy's head so well through Audrey's eyes, turning the nerdy, awkward, rule-abiding character we knew into something more three dimensional. I love it! You manage to get me so caught up in Audrey's thoughts, and I love the device you've used with dialogue, embedding it into the paragraph. Usually, that annoys me, but I can tell it's almost purposeful and you deal with it well - even how you structure the rest of the sentence, so in this case I am enthralled. :)

Audrey and Percy are such fluctuating characters at the moment, which makes it tense but also intriguing! Can't wait to read what's next! I had fun re-reading this!!! :D :D

Author's Response: HELLO!

Thanks for stopping by! I will get to your portion of the swap soon, I promise. Real life is hard right now and I don't have a lot of time anymore.

*Blush*

I think that it's great that you like this story so much. I honestly didn't think anyone would, since the concept was so outlandish. Hahah. It makes me feel better about what I've written too, Roisin ships this as Headcanon too and even mentioned Audrey in her novel, "Silver Linings" in chapter 3! I cried a little.

Anyway,

I think that the best thing in this chapter was the closed off image that comes to mind. Percy and Audrey are forced to be together in the dark but you get the feeling that they're more connected than ever. I'm glad that you noticed some of the changes too, I wanted to give this a different flow from the original.

I'm kind of in love with this version of Percy. I sketch him all the time and he just gets more compelling every time I write for him too. I'm glad that he feels so real too, that was what I was hoping for with him through Audrey's POV. Ah, this was such a lovely review!

Hey, sorry for the delay. I had to remind myself where I was, and then the kid decided not to make bedtime easy. ;-)

As always I immensely enjoyed your opening - it was deceptive, to say the least. Actually - it was what made me think I had missed something somewhere, because I thought Harry was in a duel. LOL

I digress, though!

You know that story you're working on? The connection between Katrina and Esme would be a really interesting topic to explore! "There was something very intense about the way she was approaching their investigation, something personal."

We go from a card game to all-out panic. Yikes! I'm on the edge of my seat! That was a tense moment. The idea of a statis charm being used on a body was brilliant but also kinda creepy...

The idea of an elf hospital would have made me laugh under different circumstances! You wrote that whole scene very well, managing the two elves and Harry's personalities perfectly!

Ahh, looks like Tenant has been caught! Dennis sounds so much like Harry as he's telling Artie an Celeste about Tenant. Neville played the part of Headmaster ever-so-well.

Awesome chapter!

Author's Response: Hi, Tori!

I'm glad you enjoyed my little feint at the start of the story. Always have to keep readers on their toes. ;)

Ugh. See, here's the thing with Katerina and Esme. There was definitely a complicated mentor/mentee relationship between the two of them. Katerina had a bit of Anakin Skywalker in her: a prodigal child with a lot of issues. The problem is that it all happened in the past, so it isn't a good fit for Blood Stains. I've also thought of a short story collection set before CoB that could address some stories, like this one and the full back story of Lady Tenabra. So much to write, so little time...

Stasis charm seemed to me like one of those natural extensions of a non-magical concept into the magical world. You're right, though, it is a bit creepy.

I can't claim 100% ownership of the elf hospital. I borrowed that idea from either Winters After the War or from Learning to Live Again. Isn't it horrible that I can't remember which? I should really re-read those.

Dennis is onto Tenant, but there's still a lot to be done on that front. Stay tuned...

So, I am going to do my best not having read the first chapter (I am assuming since you linked directly here, this is the chapter you want reviewed :D).

Lily seems like a headstrong girl and Dom is quite annoying. How DID wood (a boy, I assume) get into the girls dorms? I thought that wasn't possible at Hogwarts. I'm a little lost in the broader sense of the plot right now. The dialogue is alright, except that some lines aren't there own paragraph, and it can bit a little confusing - such as this passage: I roll my eyes. “Shut up Al.” “Only if you do.” “But I won’t.” “And neither will I.”

So she didn't get on the team - I suppose this might lead her to finding other interesting things to occupy her time and by which to measure her self-worth.

I am still a bit lost, but it was an easy read. I think the flow would have been better if the dialogue issue is fixed.

Thanks for the read! :)

Some typos I spotted:

Dom sighs and elegantly sucks the noodles off her form. - I think you mean FORK

Oh my goodness, this was so descriptive, awesome, and terrible. You really did a great job for a first attempt at third person! I was chilled.

You entrance was well done, your middle (using a dream) suited this story spectacularly. I love that you only really identified the character when he looked into the mirror, and that you never even spoke Scorpius' or Rose' names at all yet it was so clear it was them. Perfect.

Your flow was elegant and chilling, a soft pace for a rush of a moment.

One of the things I think that makes your story so engaging is the fact that you don’t really have any ‘small’ characters. I love that this chapter began with Susan!

Even after all this time, with a son who married a Weasley and produced a grand-daughter he loves, Malfoy still has such ‘Malfoy’ moments: “…but it wasn’t like he really paid attention to any of the Granger-Weasel’s moral crusades. Maybe he had elves mixed up with fairies or something.”

I'm glad to see his wife isn't going to leave him. He went from pompous thoughts being so...uncertain - which seemed very in character, even though we don't get to see that side in the books really.

Oh I held my breath through the whole Susan scene. I’m not sure if Harry would have managed to fix this whole mess without all his friends - and this scene sort of proved that point. She really pulls off a big stunt, getting not only herself out of there but Albus and Hugo! Merlin Al and Hugo are so innocent! Gah! That whole scene had me on edge! Despite that, they managed to pull it together and get out of there - not safe and sound, but alive, at least for the moment.

My apologies again for the late review. Hope this made up for a tiny bit. ;-)

Author's Response: Eh, I think there are definitely some characters that end up with "small" parts. I'll always feel badly that I wasn't able to work Luna into the story more often. Susan, on the other hand, developed a tendency to steal scenes. Even entire chapters in some cases. She's incredibly enjoyable to write.

One thing about writing Draco is that you can't stray too far from the small conceits and character flaws that make him who he is. Otherwise, he just doesn't sound right. I really don't like stories that turn him into a white-washed redemption story or some sort of arch-villain. He is neither.

I'll take Susan's big fight scene over all but one other fight scene in the story. I love the way it came together and I love her as an action heroine. I'm glad you liked it.

No apologies necessary! Life is busy and we all lost track sometimes. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

I know I have said it before, but I will say it again. I really do appreciate your entrances. We’ve been delving into Esme and Harry quite a bit, but it was so nice to see something from Ron’s perspective and to see, even in the first line, how much in love they still are.

And then…well you do a great job capturing the fact that Ron always was easily distracted. LOL

Then Ron surprises me, with how he redirects Hermione from a rash and headstrong moment of self-assurance.

“If I know Harry, he’d turn around, leave, come back in twenty minutes and try like hell to pretend that nothing happened. He’s a decent bloke like that.” —- Oh my, that had me laughing!!! And I do imagine that is exactly what Harry would try to do.

Ugh, your next scene, while definitely important, wasn’t that fun to read. If Goyle and Nott dropped dead I’d be totally fine with that! Oh I really did not like when they found Octavia’s name!

You did an excellent job with Katerina family’s scene and the following scene with Ricard. Your dialogue was spot on!

How much of “Arabella’s” childhood story is true here, I wonder? From her emotions, probably not much.

As always, you have done a great job. This is the chapter where I really started to feel all the threads coming together!

I’m really sorry about our swap. I thought I’d send out a review that day but things got hectic. I thought since I had said “I’ll go first” I’d set the ‘start’ time. And even though I’ve been writing, I haven’t really been on HPFF except to check the forum once. So I had no idea I’d kept you waiting a week! So sorry about that, Dan! I really enjoy our swaps!

Author's Response: Hi!

I feel like you can't start off every chapter in the same way or from the same point of view. People get bored and zone out. One of the great things about writing a story with such a large cast is that there's always somebody who could use a little more "screen time" and you can switch to their PoV whenever the story starts to feel stale. On the flip side, of course, one of the worst things about writing a story with a large cast is that there's always somebody who could use a little more "screen time"...

"How much of "Arabella's" childhood story is true here, I wonder?" -- You want to know a secret? Everything she told Percy about her childhood in that scene is true. All of it. I'm not sure I've ever revealed that before.

I'm glad you enjoyed it and don't fret about the review swap! No harm done. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Okay, so I loved the entrance into this story. You do a great job expressing 'Vic' as a character. I loved the way you had Teddy sneak in there - and a carpet! A flying carpet! LOL OMG I love it. I also enjoyed the subtle/not so subtle way you brought up her Veela temper.

"I smiled sweetly. “Well, Teddy, we can’t all be one with the asses.”" --- this had me laughing! Great one!

The trip into the Ministry was executed meticulously, written fabulously, and had me grinning the entire time! You did a great job showing Vic's temper and final push back - I'm glad it helped and things didn't go badly. But really - if they had turned her away and the dragon had hatched outside - they would have been in so much trouble. The idea of it thinking she was it's mom was adorable but also frightening. LOL

The airplane and the kiss had me smiling. :)

Author's Response: Hello hello!

Thank you so much! This was a fun one to write. My main fic is pretty angsty, so any time I do a departure from that, I usually find that my direction veers towards the zany.

The bit with the donkeys is a favorite of mine. I'm so glad that you enjoyed it :D

Thank you so much! Bahaha, yeah, things would have been pretty amusing if the Ministry didn't let her in. She certainly did a thorough job of convincing them it was in her best interests to do as they were told--there's some Molly Weasley in that girl, too, after all! However, I doubt even someone as motherly as Molly would be volunteering to take care of baby dragons. Yikes!

Heehee, the airplane bit is my other favorite part, I think. I'm so happy that you liked it. Thanks for swapping with me!

This story seems like it is the beginning of something really brilliant too. I don't often read stories like this, but I was disappointed when it ended, so I must have liked it. ;-) You managed to keep Sirius feeling like himself, but more muted. Your flow was good. There are some questions I have about the whole scene at the end, but I think it is disjointed on purpose, because we are seeing it through Sirius' eyes as he replays the parts that stung the worst.

Thanks for the review! We should swap again. :)

Author's Response: Thank you so much! I made it myself :)

I'm very flattered by your comments. I'm hoping to get chapter 2 up any day now, I'm just having a friend help me out with the Hindi in it. As for the scene at the end, I've been experimenting with Deep POV recently, so that was an attempt at that. Hopefully all your questions will be answered if you choose to come back and read the next chapter :)

This was a really interesting start. I felt like I connected with Molly and felt for her. It seems that Percy hasn't grown and matured in all the ways we would have liked. Even allowed into Hogwarts, the wounds he has inflicted will not go away easily. I hope he makes atonement, but Percy was always terrible at apologies - waiting until it was too late or not at all.

I was sort of disturbed that anyone in the Weasley/Potter clan would exclude Molly that way - especially that Rose called her out on it! I mean, Rose is Hermione Granger's child. These are the people who fought for anyone who wasn't pureblood and insane! Anyways, just disappointed.

Okay, so I read this because the summary just seemed incredibly tempting. I loved how you entered into this. Obviously, knowing the future, I couldn't help but note that his behavior repeated itself with Harry. It was interesting to kind of see it as part of his personality. Harry has a saving peoples thing, and Snape apparently has a responsibility thing.

You did an excellent job with the solidarity of this chapter - and then used the interaction at the end to really drive the mood of your chapter home. I was very disappointed when I reached the end of the story and immediately looked for a "next" button!

You had so many good descriptions, emotions, and lines I just loved! Gah - I'm gushing. Great job with such a difficult character to capture!

Thanks for the wonderful read!

Author's Response: Ahh, I keep forgetting about this thing!

It is interesting that you drew parallels between his behavior in this one-shot and how he treats Harry. I hadn't really thought about it in that way, but I guess that was the impression I got from his character while reading about him. Shows you what I remember about writing this... :P

This was a character sketch attempt before I jumped into my novel-length story for these two characters, trying to work out who they were. Unfortunately, this was never meant to go any farther than I took it, but if you're interested, I have about 80,000 more words with these characters in Until We Close Our Eyes For Good. :) I'm glad you were entertained by it, and thanks for the nice review!

After reading your story this opening was very different, which kind of just made me think "okay, she knows her stuff" - being able to change styles like that speaks of a good writer. :)

"I just want to leave it here in this room, abandoned with all of the other lost things.". I really enjoyed that line.

This was a really heartfelt story, and you did a beautiful job capturing and projecting both your characters strengths and weaknesses. For Severus you add in that impatience and willingness to be cruel (I'm not sure how else you categorize freezing and then kissing a girl) with a boyishness that we never witnessed in the books. For Lily you portray a girl who has been indecisive, perhaps not sure where she fits in in the magical world - unsure which path she should take. In a way, Severus taking his path makes her choice for her.

Some of my favorite lines were:

"Part of me wants to believe that my love would be enough to pull him from its clutches, but deep down I know it’s far too late.".

"By the time the spell releases me, I know that Sev is long gone and that I’m not meant to chase him. He has chosen his path and I have chosen mine.".

You did a wonderful job. Your flow was spot on, and you did an excellent job writing in first person.

Thank you for the swap!

Author's Response: Hello again!

Glad we could get a second swap in!

I'm so excited about the specific lines that you've picked out. They were some of my absolute favorites!

Writing Severus and Lily was a bit nerve-wracking because I wanted to keep it very cannon compliant, but still show something we didn't see before.

Severus begins to recognize the torment he is causing Lily and because of this I think he chooses a path he knows she won't follow so that she can finally have a modicum of freedom.

Thank you so much for your lovely comments! They really made me smile!

This is my presumptuous review swap review. I know my last one was way belated, so I wanted to extend mine first, this time. :) Also, I wanted to write presumptuous in a review. ;-)

I think it is a more mature version of Harry that notices the issues Esme is having and is strong enough to try to fix them. Also, his devious plan kind of speaks toward more mind control, yes? And yet, Esme is so much more willing to be blunt. Then again, she got the short end of the stick (not Harry, not a family, etc. etc.) so perhaps she naturally would feel more like the person who could point it out. Regardless, I thought you did a wonderful job with that whole scene. You made the argument really realistic, which is hard to do.

You're whole George scene made me laugh. He always did have a unique way of dealing with things! Percy, Percy, Percy!! So they're all sharing whatever information they have, but it's really not enough. I see Molly is back to her old broken record. Lot of good it did her last time. I doubt it will do her much good this time, either.

I loved the idea that if a wizard were to grow hard of hearing they could just resort to reading minds. LOL

Oh, the baby Harry memory had me crying. I think it is probably the nicest part of your whole story. You did a wonderful job describing its framework as Harry could remember it himself and then tying those pieces together as you let us see the whole thing. Perfect.

Harry and Esme are starting to get along rather well by this point. There are obviously still some sore subjects in their relationship, but Harry is doing his best to address them. I'm relieved that you thought the argument went well. That section went through a lot of revisions. ;)

I really enjoyed writing George in this story. I didn't get to include him nearly often enough for my tastes. He's a fun character.

Professor Turgeon was another character that I wish I could have found more uses for. She's very powerful and very interesting. It's so hard to do all of your characters justice without stories becoming a million words long...

The baby Harry scene definitely left me a little misty-eyed. Part of me always feels bad for all of the things I put Harry through in this story. He deserved so much better. So it was always rewarding to write the happy moments.

Hi! Here for the review swap! Apparently I've already reviewed the first chapter of this story. :) I did a quick re-read to get myself up to speed, though. Here goes!

I enjoyed seeing the Marauders and their interactions with Lily and Hermione. It is sort of hard to dually know the seriousness of her task while reading the light-fluffiness of her environment (at the moment).

I admit I was a little thrown at how easily Hermione began to have those sorts of feelings for Sirius - it didn't seem very like her.

The Potions class was...interesting...

"What is his problem!? I have made it abundantly clear, all day, that I am not interested. Why won’t he give it a rest? "

Pretty sure she's actually done the exact opposite...

This was an interesting chapter. I'm really interested in what will happen once she contacts Dumbledore.

Okay, this has to be one of the more unique stories I've ever read on HPFF, and also one of only handful that could stand on it's own, outside of the HP universe. These are, of course, both compliments.

The beginning was so simple and so...succinct (I know there is a better word I want). At first, it kind of threw me, but then it felt very accurate because not only was this a person waking up who didn't know where she was, but WHO she was. Only the most basic things occurred to her, because she had no foundation for anything else.

I loved your exploration of her magic. That at first she tries to move thing, and is disappointed when the clipboard is removed - and acts friendly so that it is there for a longer time. It is all very disjointed and disconnected and perfect for the tone of this story.

That she remembered her sister with the flower was heart wrenching - and it tied so beautifully to the end of your story.

I have many questions like: did they refuse Hogwarts? Did she attend but remain unable to control it? Is this supposed to be set in the distant past? Etc. etc.

You took this challenge in a really unusual direction. Congrats for a very creative approach!

This was a great read! Thank so much!

Author's Response: Hi GingeredTea,

Thank you for the swap!

What a lovely compliment! It means a lot to me that you think this could stand on it's own.. And one of the most unique stories on HPFF.! Well now you're really trying to make me blush!

Succinct is the perfect word. I wanted the beginning to be very tight and observational!

In regards to your questions...I picture this as 1950's US, possibly a Southern State, so i don't think Hogwarts would've been an option. I think Caroline did learn to control some of it !

I’m back. I had thought I had submitted my review for this chapter, but I guess it didn’t go through. I’ve been a bit scatter brained - but hadn’t intended to leave you hanging!

Harry has always been the ‘do something and think later’ type of guy. In your story age and loss and huge regrets have sort of sanded down the sharpness of that aspect of him, but it is still his nature, and it shows here. He has enough strength to understand it is his personality getting in the way, and keeps to himself rather than lash out and ruin the productivity of others.

Ginny still bring’s out so much hurt in Harry. You did a nice job with that quick transition in his head and making it realistic.

I’m really starting to enjoy Esme. She did a superb job with Percy’s memory, and oh my, it was revealing what she found. Let me just say, I’ve been suspecting Percy’s friend for a while. I’ll admit to having read ahead, so I won’t say much more in a review, but I knew even before I read it that there was much much more to her. I really liked how you portrayed Stoop.

‘Rory Tennant didn’t know it, but he had just set an upper limit on his own life expectancy.’ — I loved this line.

I love the bickering you opened the Ministry scene with! Who knew Ron could be so convincing - his acting skills have grown. Hermione did just as wonderful as I knew she would. I laughed all over again at the comment she made to that poor women who let them in! LOL I was disgusted by Cornfoot (what a great name), and on the edge of my seat at the end when it seemed like it could go either way!

This was an excellent chapter!

Author's Response: Hi, there!

Harry is definitely more reserved and refined at this age than he was in the books. He still has a bias toward action over inaction, but he's more thoughtful about what sort of action to take. The losses he's suffered have definitely had an effect. You're right that he hasn't gotten over Ginny. I don't think he ever will, at least not completely.

I'm glad that Esme is growing on you. She wasn't meant to be a character that people would love right away. There's a very complicated history between her and Harry and things needed to evolve slowly. As far as Percy's friend... well, if you know then you know. ;)

Ah, Rory. He ended up being one of my least favorite characters in this story. I enjoy putting upper limits on him.

Ron has spent a lot of time working undercover during his career. Personally, I felt more impressed with Hermione. Being an irritable, arrogant old lady does not come naturally to her. And the remarks she makes to the young woman working security... well, that was just fun to write.

Of all the places I could imagine Harry going, Little Hangleton was not even on my radar!! Then that he less them to the ramshackle shack instead of the Riddle house (although I do suppose that would be much harder to hide and may not have passed along to Voldemort and then to Harry), was another surprise!

But, backing up a tad, the you managed the wheel chair tension really well, guiding it into humor that surprised and made me laugh, especially coming from Hermione!

Ron is a bit moody when he's got some drink in him, hmm? You manage to convey that without constantly having to bring up the fact he went a little overboard at dinner - bravo. I like how Harry sends him for food - it is probably a task Ron could do in his sleep. LOL

I loved that Hermys brought the bags and that the Aurors are afraid to go into Ron's house. The elf obviously cares for Harry. I also really enjoyed your description of their Patronus' - especially Ron's. ;-)

I can't decide if you've purposefully cast suspicion on Arabela for the purpose shrouding the true Tenabra, or because she IS Tenabra. UGH- You are driving me crazy!!

Her control over the Minister was creepy. She is a much better speaker than Voldemort. She obviously understands peoole better than Voldemort did, at least in the insanity of later cannon.

"“You looked rather upset when you left the press conference,” she replied, closing his door behind her. “I wanted to make sure that you were alright.”" I really am suspicious of her...

Harry having trouble sleeping seems normal, the message from Molly was endearing!

Al, Hugo, and Teddy were being so stupid... I'm glad Susan was there to help them! Although Teddy's mimicry of Albus as a kid was hilarious. :)

The Gaunt Shack is one of those rare things that was part of my original bullet-point draft for this story and survived all the way to chapter 19. An awful lot of other ideas fell by the wayside, believe me. The Riddle house never occurred to me, but I agree with you. Since Voldemort was never Tom Riddle Sr's officially acknowledged son, and since the Riddle house was a muggle property, I don't think it would have legally passed into Voldemort's ownership.

Splitting the patronuses was another idea that I had very early on. It took me a while to find a place I could use it. Somehow this made more sense than have to cast the charm again and again. I also liked the image of Ron's litter of spectral terriers.

Me? Purposefully cast suspicion? Surely you're joking. ;)

Voldemort never put much stock in words unless he was using them to hurt someone. It's not that he wasn't eloquent in his own way, but he didn't view words as the main way that he influenced people. For Tenabra, getting her message right means everything if she's going to pull this off.

Molly's patronus nearly got cut from this chapter because it felt like pure fluff at the time. The important take-away from that scene is that even though he puts up a solid front to Hermione and Ron, Harry has his own doubts about whether he's wrong about the connection between Ginny's murder and the Blood Order. That said, people really seem to like the lioness.

Al, Hugo and Teddy don't know any better because they've lived in a peaceful world for all but the first few days of Teddy's life. The idea of mortal danger is totally foreign to them, but believe me, they're going to have to grow up quickly.

I somehow submitted my last review before I meant too - I didn't get to talk about Hermione's struggle at work or Lucy, or some key points of Percy's issue, among other things. Anyways, the last chapter had me on the edge of my seat.

Okay, onto this one...

Esme Osinalde; I think you're teasing us with this blond hair. just really, I think you are. I'm seeing her everywhere and wondering at every turn!

The scene with Esme made me second guess myself a bit...but then I wondered, was Harry's "oh crap" about him thinking she thinks he's interested, or because he's a little suspicious?

We haven't seen Ocatvia much but I really think she's hilarious! Of course, being bullied isn't funny, But Scorpius losing control of his magic was and her reenactment was both funny and terrible.

Astoria is good for Draco, obviously.

That was a bit tense with Esme there for a bit, and then it got way worse. I have to say though, James Potter would be proud of Harry's defenses. They were very prank-like. LOL

I was surprised Esme agreed to go with them, but after all of that tension you managed to make me laugh with Hermys' thoughts about Harry's grandchildren.

Author's Response: Ugh. On the one hand, I get the point of not being able to edit reviews after they're submitted. The drama potential is off the charts. On the other hand, it's awfully inconvenient sometimes.

I didn't realize just how many blonde witches were running around this story until somebody pointed it out in a review several chapters farther along. I also slipped up and changed Esme's hair to brown later. I'm grateful that I have reviewers to point these things out.

Harry is worried that his past with Esme will make it so that she's unwilling to help solve Ginny's murder. Or that she'll hex him. Possibly both.

You'll see Octavia quite a bit more as the story wears on. Keep an eye on her, she's central to the plot.

Draco would be completely lost without Astoria. Literally would not know what to do with himself.

I like to imagine James, Sirius and Remus all smiling down on Harry's accomplishments. Particularly the ones he unleashed on Ministerial Security in this chapter.

Esme agrees to go with them because she sees it as the most interesting way to spend her remaining time in the UK. She doesn't really think it's possible that she's putting herself in danger. She's an Auror and a foreign national. She probably thinks that the worst that could happen is she'd be sent back to France on the first available portkey.

I love Hermys. He's another character that I wish I could have worked into the story more.

You know, when the Lady talked about playing with some of the people in the Ministry...I am really starting to think that Arabela IS her...

What is happening to Percy??

Oh, Mr. Black seems like he's definitely been used...he won't like that when he figures it out, since he seems to pride himself on using others. LOL

And I'm really really really curious about who this Lady is (I'm not using any of the names, because I agree that it is made up - maybe all of them).

Author's Response: :) You know I can't just tell you whether you're right or wrong. It would spoil all the fun.

Percy is in a very complicated situation. Some of his problems are of his own making and some are not. Things haven't been right for him since Ginny died, but then again things haven't been right for anyone since then.

I added Eridanus Black into this chapter only because so many readers had been speculating that "Xerxes the Seer" was a secretly powerful dark wizard pulling the strings behind the Blood Order. As you can see, he's not. That was the only point of having him pop up here.